Mesothelioma Gene Therapy Trial Shows ‘Real Potential’

Gene therapy is moving closer to becoming part of standard-of-care treatment for pleural mesothelioma, according to the latest multicenter clinical trial. The phase III trial, known as the INFINITE clinical research study, is designed to evaluate the intrapleural delivery of an investigational drug — a type of gene therapy — in combination with celecoxib and gemcitabine, anti-inflammatory and chemotherapy drugs, respectively. Researchers hope to stop, or at least slow, the growth of mesothelioma tumor cells with the combination therapy. “This is a very interesting concept,” oncologist Dr. Bernardo Goulart of the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, told The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com. “There is real potential here. We are excited about moving it forward.” 20 Years in the Making for Gene Therapy Scientists have worked for more than 20 years to fine-tune gene therapy and make it an effective treatment for mesothelioma. Success at the phase III level — increasing survival rates — could signal the culmination of decades of development. “The goal here is to get definitive answers, not a suggestion, as to whether the new treatment is better than [current] standard of care,” said pulmonary oncologist Dr. Dan Sterman at New York University Langone Medical Center. “The hope is we may have a new treatment option.” Standard of care today remains a combination of chemotherapy, radiation and resection, which has not been effective overall. Less than a third of th...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Source Type: news